According to a report released by authorities, a Missouri man was recently arrested for drunk driving after authorities found him passed out in his vehicle. That vehicle was purportedly stopped in the middle of a roadway at the time that deputies arrived upon the scene. According to them, the driver suspected of drunk driving had passed out with his foot on the vehicle’s brake and with the car still in gear.

Deputies attempted to rouse the suspected drunk driver but were unable to wake him. They proceeded to use a lock-out tool in order to enter his vehicle. At that point, they allegedly found multiple open containers of alcoholic beverages along with more than one loaded firearm.

Authorities investigated further and then arrested the 25-year-old man. He would not consent to voluntary blood testing, so police had to obtain a search warrant in order to test his blood for alcohol content. They arrested the suspect and booked him on allegations of DWI as a prior offender. He may face additional charges at a future time.

While it may be easy to jump to conclusions in drunk driving cases where a defendant has been convicted of such charges in the past, people are considered innocent until proven guilty in each individual case. Authorities must now present sufficient evidence in a Missouri court of law in order to convict the man of drunk driving. Failure to meet their high burden of proof may lead to the man being cleared of the criminal allegations he faces.

Source: KY3 News, “Drunken driver passed out in road with foot on brake,” Nov. 20, 2012